The present invention relates to the field of children and adult shoes and more particularly to such shoes having disposed therein an arrangement to operate a noise-making device.
Shoes of elastomer and fabric constructions, originally intended for jogging, baseball and other sports activities, have become the footwear of choice for adults and the youth of the day. Needless to say, the youngest are no exception and frequently it has been found that three years old are shod, "just like big brother and sister".
Footwear outfitted with noise-making devices have been disclosed in prior U.S. Patents to Gill, U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,254 and Jonat, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,100; and a U.K. Patent to Griffiths, U.S. Pat. No. 2,191,383. The disclosures in these patents as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,107 are novelty items for amusing a child, with practical benefits for encouraging toddlers to walk and to keep contact with small children while walking about or shopping. While the concept of these patents have merit in each of these areas, adults do not have a desire or, or even tolerance, for continuous noise. Moreover, a deformable cavity at either the toe portion of the sole taught by Jonat, or at the heel portion taught by Gill and Griffiths and the bulge in the sole of the Bryan patent will tend to impair support and comfort. Since presence of the noise-maker in the toe and heel as well as the arch area of the sole of the prior art tend to make the shoes uncomfortable for the wearer, such noise-makers have not become commercially viable products.